Little Women · chapter 14 of 31
The Long Night
长长的夜
Amy is sent away, Beth's fever grows worse, and on a snowy December night the sisters keep watch by the window, waiting for midnight.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 十一月快过去了，贝丝还在发烧。
Shíyīyuè kuài guòqù le, Bèisī hái zài fāshāo.
November was nearly over, and Beth still had a fever.
- Amy 我不要去马奇姑妈家！我要在家里！
Wǒ bú yào qù Mǎqí gūmā jiā! Wǒ yào zài jiā li!
I won't go to Aunt March's! I want to stay home!
- Laurie 艾米，你没得过这个病，你得走。
Àimǐ, nǐ méi déguo zhège bìng, nǐ děi zǒu.
Amy, you've never had this illness. You have to go.
Chapter 14 is part of SayMei Stories Unlimited ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Part 1 of Little Women (chapters 1–6) is free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- Amy 可是马奇姑妈不喜欢我，她家也不好玩！
Kěshì Mǎqí gūmā bù xǐhuan wǒ, tā jiā yě bù hǎowán!
But Aunt March doesn't like me, and her house is no fun!
- Laurie 那我天天去看你，带你出去玩，好不好？
Nà wǒ tiāntiān qù kàn nǐ, dài nǐ chūqu wán, hǎo bu hǎo?
Then I'll come and see you every day and take you out. How about that?
- Amy 天天？你答应我？
Tiāntiān? Nǐ dāying wǒ?
Every day? You promise?
- Laurie 我答应你！
Wǒ dāying nǐ!
I promise!
- Amy 好吧……那我去。你别忘了！
Hǎo ba… nà wǒ qù. Nǐ bié wàng le!
Very well... then I'll go. Don't you forget!
- Narrator 汉娜和班斯医生天天照顾贝丝。
Hànnà hé Bānsī yīshēng tiāntiān zhàogù Bèisī.
Hannah and Dr. Bangs looked after Beth every day.
- Meg 乔，我们要不要写信告诉妈妈？
Qiáo, wǒmen yào bu yào xiě xìn gàosu māma?
Jo, shouldn't we write and tell Marmee?
- Jo 不要。爸爸还在生病，别让妈妈难过。
Bú yào. Bàba hái zài shēngbìng, bié ràng māma nánguò.
No. Father is still ill. Let's not make Marmee sad.
- Meg 乔，贝丝醒着，可是她不认识我们了……
Qiáo, Bèisī xǐngzhe, kěshì tā bú rènshi wǒmen le…
Jo, Beth's awake, but she doesn't know us anymore...
- Jo 贝丝，是我，乔！你看看我！
Bèisī, shì wǒ, Qiáo! Nǐ kànkan wǒ!
Beth, it's me, Jo! Look at me!
- Narrator 十二月一号，外边下着大雪。
Shí'èryuè yī hào, wàibian xiàzhe dà xuě.
On the first of December, a heavy snow was falling outside.
- Dr. Bangs 叫马奇太太回来吧。要快。
Jiào Mǎqí tàitai huílai ba. Yào kuài.
Send for Mrs. March. Quickly.
- Jo 班斯医生……好，我马上去发电报！
Bānsī yīshēng… hǎo, wǒ mǎshàng qù fā diànbào!
Dr. Bangs... all right, I'll send a telegram right away!
- Laurie 乔，不用去了！我昨天就发了。马奇太太今天晚上就到！
Qiáo, búyòng qù le! Wǒ zuótiān jiù fā le. Mǎqí tàitai jīntiān wǎnshang jiù dào!
Jo, no need! I sent one yesterday. Mrs. March will be here tonight!
- Jo 天哪，泰迪！你真是太好了！
Tiān na, Tàidí! Nǐ zhēn shì tài hǎo le!
Oh, Teddy! You're wonderful!
- Laurie 乔，你这样抱着我，我都不能说话了！
Qiáo, nǐ zhèyàng bàozhe wǒ, wǒ dōu bù néng shuōhuà le!
Jo, with you hugging me like this, I can't even talk!
- Jo 对不起！我太高兴了！
Duìbuqǐ! Wǒ tài gāoxìng le!
Sorry! I'm just so happy!
- Dr. Bangs 到半夜，就知道了。
Dào bànyè, jiù zhīdào le.
By midnight, we'll know.
- Meg 乔，如果贝丝好了，我再也不说累了。
Qiáo, rúguǒ Bèisī hǎo le, wǒ zài yě bù shuō lèi le.
Jo, if Beth gets well, I'll never complain of being tired again.
- Jo 我也是。我再也不生气了。
Wǒ yě shì. Wǒ zài yě bù shēngqì le.
Me too. I'll never get angry again.
- Narrator 半夜过去了。两点多，乔还站在窗户边。
Bànyè guòqù le. Liǎng diǎn duō, Qiáo hái zhàn zài chuānghu biān.
Midnight passed. After two, Jo was still standing at the window.
- Jo 雪这么大……妈妈，你快来吧。
Xuě zhème dà… māma, nǐ kuài lái ba.
So much snow... Marmee, please come quickly.
- Jo 梅格？贝丝的脸怎么这么白……她怎么不动了？
Méigé? Bèisī de liǎn zěnme zhème bái… tā zěnme bú dòng le?
Meg? Why is Beth's face so white... why isn't she moving?
- Jo 再见，我的贝丝……再见了。
Zàijiàn, wǒ de Bèisī… zàijiàn le.
Goodbye, my Beth... goodbye.
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What makes Amy agree to go to Aunt March's?
“我天天去看你……我答应你”
- Why doesn't Jo want to write to Marmee?
“爸爸还在生病，别让妈妈难过”
- What does Dr. Bangs say on the first of December?
“叫马奇太太回来吧。要快”
- What has Laurie already done?
“不用去了！我昨天就发了”
- Past two in the morning, what does Jo see?
“贝丝的脸怎么这么白……她怎么不动了”